How Do You Occupy Your Awake Baby???

[Bubble*Crazy]

I just was after some ideas on how to occupy my almost 6 week old when I can't be carrying or holding him when at home (as much as I'd like to!).

I've been alternating him between his pram, rocker and playing/laying under his "Kick & Crawl" thingy when I'm (eg) cooking and eating dinner, hanging out washing, folding up washing etc. But he seems to now be getting bored.

He's not a grizzly baby apart from when he's tired or hungry or just recently when he's bored.

Does anyone have any ideas or have any suggestions on a "toy" we can buy as another alternative distraction?

[Miaow]

EJs always been into watching the Wiggles even at that age. I found it would keep her occupied for ages as she loves the music and movement.

[BubbaLicious]

What about home made toys like empty drink bottles (600mls) fill with water add some food colouring and glitter and bits of cellophane (sp?) e.c.t. just make sure the lid is glued on well
or without the water add popcorn kernals for a shaker or give tupperware to play with.
My DS#2 just doesn't seem to be interested in toys at the moment he's only 6mths but I have been giving him my guitar (with supervision of course) to bang on and make noise.
Sorry I'm not much help

[nicoleE]

what about those Baby Einstein DVDs?

[angcaltam]

My DD is 9 weeks old and loves her play gym. I just lay her on the floor under it and it keeps her amused for ages. The other thing she loves is her Lamaze book. It stands up when you open it so you have it on the first page then when they start to grizzle turn the page and so on. It works a treat.

I hope this has helped.

[anna&oli]

Hi Oli is now 5mhs so a bit older

But i found when he wwas young that he's love a toy for about a week or so then get bored of it so easily!!!!! He loved his playmat, I also would put him in his bouncer and let him atch out the window!!!! He loves outside. Music may be another, but some babies, like mine just love your attention and nothing will compete with that.

Hope you find something to amuse him
Anna

[Pixie]

OK Eliza is 10 weeks but she LOVES this DVD we bought her it's an educational one come with a talking teddy it's called MAGIQ she loves it. or I put her in her rocker with her mobile.

I know the feeling shes awake most of the dayy too:rolleyes:

[anna&oli]

Just another thought have you tried a baby carrier that you strap onto the front of you for when he's grissley and you really need to get things done. Oli hates it but some mums swear by it !!!
Anna

[sam's mum]

The gyms over their heads are good. Ours plays music and has dangly things and then converts to a sitting up play centre with push buttons for when they are older. It is a sesame street one.

Sam also loved plastic bags, so I tied a whole heap closed and stuffed them in a pillow case that had a button up end. he could still hear the noise when he whacked it or lay on it, but couldn't actually get to the bags.

[flo]

Lily is 14weeks and she loves watching the hooley dooleys - very colorful and lotsa music. She also loves her fisher price aquarium that lights up and plays music, and loves her playmat

[DIANNEKB]

I am going to have to agree with the wiggles.. I bougth it for my son when he was only a few weeks old and he loves it... (hot Potatoes live) also he loved his fisher price aquarium swing. When bubs gets to 3 months I suggest buying a bumbo seat onyl just got one for my bubs and he is 5 months old and he loves it but I wish I bought it when he was 3 months old... it helps them to sit upright.

[Natsmummy]

I just was after some ideas on how to occupy my almost 6 week old when I can't be carrying or holding him when at home (as much as I'd like to!).

I've been alternating him between his pram, rocker and playing/laying under his "Kick & Crawl" thingy when I'm (eg) cooking and eating dinner, hanging out washing, folding up washing etc. But he seems to now be getting bored.

He's not a grizzly baby apart from when he's tired or hungry or just recently when he's bored.

Does anyone have any ideas or have any suggestions on a "toy" we can buy as another alternative distraction?

My little boy (now 15 weeks) likes to have constant attention. I've found one of those old fashioned bouncers is really good. I carry it from room to room with me as I do the housework and chat to him about what I'm doing, what we will do today and so on as I get my jobs done, while he kicks away like crazy and bounces up and down. He's obviously a little older than your baby but I also give him a rattle, a soft toy and some Link-a-doos (colourful plastic rings in different textures) to hold which he enjoys. He also spends a lot of time under his play gym. Could you perhaps buy new toys to hang off the play gym?

A girl in my mothers group has just recommended the Fisher Price Elmo's Musical Play Gym as being a god-send. Apparently you switch it on and it goes for ages playing different music, flashing lights, etc. It was $122 at my local David Jones but I've located it on the web at a store called Toy Kingdom for $49.95! Have ordered one and am just waiting for it to arrive so I'll let you know how that goes.

I do think though that there aren't that many great toys around for them at this age. I went looking for new toys for my bubs the other day and the only thing I found to buy was a soft teething book. Everything else is so similar to what we already have - play gym, rattles, teething rings, etc. :idea:

[Spewiesmum]

Try crinkling an empty biscuit tray (buy your favourites and eat them of course!) or cellophane in a paper bag.

Black and white mobiles are good too.

[FourAngelKisses]

Get a Kick N Play pianoa, tie it to the end of his cot and prop him up in the cot with pillows or in his rock and let him kick to his hearts content. Matthew loved his Kick N Play piano. Tv is also good at this age, they love the colours.

[newmum2one]

DS (nearly 5mths - but if on time would have been 2.5mths) absolutely loves to watch his mobile, but his favourite things are an Elmo play gym thingy that lights up, plays music, elmo plays peek-a-boo etc and it converts to a playstand (looks a bit like a piano) when he can sit up. It fits in his cot or over his head on a playmat.
The other thing is a bouncer that also gently vibrates and has a fishtank type thing that sits in front of it. You can put it on parent control and the fish move and you can change the music/running water etc or put it on baby control for him to kick the toys and that will cause the music to start/change etc.
Both keep DS occupied for hours, Elmo from Toys'R'Us, Elmo for $49.95 on special (usually $89.95?) and the bouncer from Target, but not sure of the price, I think $89.95 but we bought it on clearance as the lights don't work. Often just having him somewhere he can see me or DH is enough.
I'm really glad to hear that other young babies are watching tv, DS seems to like watching the tv when he's in the living room with us but I wasn't sure if it was good for him :-)

[Lambie]

My DD is very content to lie anywhere providing she has her "Baby Dub" CD playing. This CD is absolutely amazing, my sister in NZ put me onto it as her 2 kidies just loved it. It is a collection of dub music that has the same beat as the heart which acts as a calming effect.

You can listen to part of the song "Hello Baby" (my personal favourite, it's so cute), at the below link. I have also seen some ABC shops stock this CD.

http://www.opuscds.com/track/144993

[Bubble*Crazy]

Thanks everyone for some great suggestions ... I even forgot about the Kick 'n Play piano I've got packed away!

[San]

Hiya Mummyto2,

My little one really loves her playgyms. We have the seasame street elmo one and fisher price link adoos. We purchased the sesame street one first but found that you really really had to whack the hanging toys with a fair amount of force in order to activate them. So you ended up having to sit with her and help her do it (she wasnt a big fan of the more passive continuous play mode where it plays music without any interactivity). So we went out and bought the link a doos and she adored it! It truely was a godsend and would easily keep her amused for 15-20 minutes, giving me time to have a breather :)

However, now that she is older (4 months) and a lot stronger I find that she gets a little annoyed at the link a doo playgym (because the slightest touch will set it off) and she will often start yelling and blowing raspberries at the moving cow, as if she is trying to tell it to shut up lol. So we have reintroduced the sesame street one and she is having a ball with it now that she can activate it on her own :)

Another thing we do (for a bit of quiet time) is to place her in her little bouncer/rocker and give her some toys to play with - such as stuffed toys or her favourite toy - a colourful little bee that has a variety of textures to feel and make crinkly noises with. The underside of the bee has a variety of black and white patterns which is great for younger babies who need high levels of contrast to see the patterns properly.

We also use a playmat (that came with the link a doo) that has a little mirror, a ball that she can roll, and a couple of animal patterns with celophane stitched in to make noises with. Additional toys can also be attached to the playmat (including the ones used in the playgym), which helps to prevent her from flinging them across the room.

She also loves going outside and watching the leaves on the trees blow in the wind. Although it is getting a little too cold to do that.

I know that your little bubs is still a bit small for this, but today we went out and purchased a jolly jumper: http://www.babyco.com.au/catalog/product.asp?pID=153

After a few minutes of confusion she started going bezerk with it and loved every second. She must have felt really enpowered being able to move around under her own steam. :smiliedance:

Note that this toy isnt suitable for babies who cannot steadily hold their heads up on their own, but it may be something worth looking into in the future

P.S. Playgyms can be expensive (generally in the $100 range) but I have found that Toys R Us often have them on special for approx half price. We paid less then $50 each for both our playgyms :)